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Mk 65 Quickstrike bottom mine

EQUIPMENT CATEGORY: Naval Mines/Torpedoes -- Mines
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PICTURES OF: Mk 65 Quickstrike bottom mine

DESCRIPTION

Although considered part of the Quickstrike series of bomb-to-mine conversions, the Mk 65 aircraft-laid bottom mine is substantially different
from the Mk 84 2,000-lb (907-kg) bomb that is the basis of the Mk 64 and Mk 65. The Mk 65 has a thin-walled mine-type case and several
modifications to the arming mechanism, nose and tail.

The system consists of the Mk 65 mine case, an Mk 45 safety device arming group with Mk 2 arming device, Mk 57 target-detecting device
and Mk 7 tail assembly.

The mine arms itself at a pre-set time after it enters the water.

The tail section may be modified to fit a drag parachute. The Mk 65 is capable of making arming-delay, sterilization, self-destruct and other
operational settings.

The Mk 65 is modular and can be fitted with new target-detecting devices and target-processing algorithms.

The Mk 65 is also designed for deployment from submarines.

PICTURES
STATUS

Initial operational capability (IOC) was reached in 1983. There were 4,479 produced during FY1983-1986, FY1988-1989 funding, which was
very close to the 4,500 originally planned.

The system is no longer in production. The mine is in U.S. service.

Aerojet permitted Misar to market the Mk 65 in Europe in 1985.

The Mk 65 Quickstrike was offered by FEL in a bid for air-launched ground mines submitted to the Australian military in 1999.

The U.S. Navy equips Mk 65 Quickstrikes with Mk 71 target-detection devices (TDD) as an optional sensor load.

Sechan Electronics was awarded a US$17.2 million contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla.,
to develop and build the target detecting device (TDD) MK 71 Mod 1 to support the Quickstrike Mine Improvement program, according to a
report in Military & Aerospace Electronicsfor Dec. 11, 2013. The work was scheduled for completion by December 2018.

BUILDER(S)
Frequency Engineering Laboratories (FEL), Farmingdale, N.J.
(formerly Aerojet, a GenCorp company)

USERS/PLATFORMS
USA
Air Force
bomber B-52
B-1
 Navy
fighter F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
patrol/ASW P-3C Orion

CHARACTERISTICS
WEIGHTS
Total 2,394 lb (1,086 kg)
Warhead 2,001 lb (908 kg)
DIMENSIONS
Length 10 ft 6 in (3.25 m)
Diameter
body 21 in (530 mm)
across fins 29 in (734 mm)
PERFORMANCE
Maximum depth 600 ft (183 m)
WARHEAD
conventional PBXN-103 underwater explosive
SENSORS/FIRE CONTROL
Target Detection Device TDD-58 combination
sensor
variable influence (magnetic/seismic)

VARIANTS

Mk 65 Mod 0
This version utilizes the Mk 57 magnetic/seismic fuze.

Mk 65 Mod 1
The Mod 1 utilizes the Mk 58 magnetic/seismic/pressure fuze.

Mk 65 Mod 3
The Mod 3 kit includes TDD Mk 71, current safe/arming devices, current Mk 131 or 132 battery, Mk 157 TDD adapter ring and other
hardware.

ISSUES AND NOTES

None.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

The Italian navy reportedly evaluated the Mk 65 Quickstrike in 1993.

The U.S. Longshot range extension kit was tried out on an Mk 65 Quickstrike in 1997.

LATEST UPDATE: 1 November 2014

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